Horse Thief's latest release, Fear in Bliss, is a beautifully crafted album, driven by melodic guitar and layers of texture. It represents a band that is embracing its sound and coming into its own. I was really excited to see these songs performed live and they did not disappoint.

Making their Stateside radio debut on FUV Live at CMJ, London's Happyness delivered a sunny, cheeky and confident set of songs mostly found on their excellent debut album, Weird Little Birthday, which was released in the UK this past summer.

One of the main objectives of the CMJ Music Marathon (and WFUV for that matter) is to expose new music talent, and Son Little is a great example of that mission. Although he has lent his voice to The Roots and RJD2, Philadelphia's Aaron Livingston is still relatively unknown for his work as Son Little. He has only released three singles so far, but based on the strength of his songs and now an EP, Things I Forgot, released this fall, we are confident that Son Little's name will soon be much more widely known.

In the wake of Sonic Youth's collapse, Moore's new solo album is almost calming in its familiarity, particularly as it recalls a minor-key update of SY's well-loved late-'90s salvo A Thousand Leaves. Listen to Thurston Moore's The Best Daystreaming via WFUV and NPR Music now before the album's release on October 21 on Matador Records.

Innerworld is awash in '80s earmarks, but it also conveys a sense of wistfulness; a sense of childlike splendor in danger of succumbing to the ravages of adulthood. Listen to Electric Youth's Innerworld streaming now via WFUV and NPR Music before the album's release on September 30 on Secretly Canadian.

After two solid albums, Too Bright is something shockingly new for Perfume Genius: a set of muscular, magnificently controlled songs that explore darkness inside and out. Listen to Perfume Genius' Too Bright streaming via FUV and NPR Music before its release on September 23 on Matador Records.